Falling Slowly
by thewriterinme
Summary: Modern day Clexa AU in which Clarke is a Sorority girl and Lexa is just trying to get through her last semester. They happen to share a class with Clarke's best friend Bellamy in it, and Lexa and Bellamy end up as project partners. The burn is slow, but it sets on fire.


Modern day Clexa AU in which Clarke is a Sorority girl and Lexa is just a regular college student. They happen to share a class with Clarke's best friend Bellamy in it, and Lexa and Bellamy end up as project partners. The burn is slow, but it sets on fire.

AN: I started writing Warpath when one of my friends mentioned that it reminded her of The 100. Which led me to watch the show, and _obsess _over it and Clexa too. I watched both seasons in less than a week, and I'm really happy with how they write every character. They make no excuses and offer no explanations. Plus, there's the bonus of a canonically lesbian commander and bi "you may be chancellor but I'm in charge" Clarke. Yay!

**Falling Slowly** [Chapter 1]

She had an idea that this class was never going to be her favorite, but it couldn't possibly get worse than this: this class required a _partner_ project.

This is the lowest point in anyone's academic career. Nobody likes doing group projects, but Lexa firmly holds on to the belief that a partner project is even more ridiculous. Not only is your grade dependable on someone else but there isn't a third person (or fourth, or so on) to buffer the tension. Everyone has had a group project in which another person is just so unbearable that you want to kill them. But having the other people in the group gives you a chance to maybe _not to that_, and instead just focus on something else. In a partner project? You end up killing them.

This is why when the professor told them of this particular assignment, Lexa was less than pleased. She should have known; she was not necessarily anti-people, but she preferred to not deal with them. She still had time to drop this course, as it still was the first day of class and they were doing that annoying ritual of going over the syllabus.

It sucked though, because she needed this damn class if she was going to graduate in May. Being a senior for another semester is not something she was planning on, so she figured she might as well deal with it. The thing is, she isn't very good at making friends. The project requires a partner. Another person.

Well, _shit. _

She scans the room for any faces that seem nice, not psycho, and like they would make some effort. This project was semester-long, so she needed someone reliable to keep up with the deadlines without her having to be on top of it all the time. She sighs, because as of right now, all she has noticed is the pretty blonde girl staring at her with a smirk on her lips, and the dude sitting next to her. It's not like she doesn't know who they are. Of course she does: Clarke Griffin and Bellamy Blake are in this class.

Clarke is the campus' favorite girl. She's the president of one of the sororities - Lexa doesn't bother to learn their names - and Bellamy is her go-to guy. She thinks maybe they're dating. Lexa rolls her eyes at Clarke's stare and continues searching the room for a possible partner. The last thing she wants is to partner up with one of them to be used for her skills and knowledge.

There's a tall guy sitting in the back of the classroom, the corner opposite hers, and she thinks that he is it. He seems the quiet type himself, and he seems approachable even as she sees the tattoos that peek from underneath his tee. Some crawl up his chest and neck and some run down his arms. The professor is still giving instructions on what the project entails; seems simple enough: make a presentation about the rise and fall of any civilization in history.

They are finally given the order to find a partner and talk about ideas for a few minutes and Lexa watches as the Bellamy boy makes way toward her. Nope, she's definitely not letting that happen, so she stands before he gets to her and turns set on asking the tall guy to be her partner. She stops dead on her tracks when she realizes another girl has beat her to it.

Annoyed, she turns back around to find Bellamy sitting on her chair. "What are you doing?" She asks him, letting her annoyance show.

He smiles up at her, that charming smile does nothing to disarm her, and says, "whatever the hell I want." Then he stands back up, motions for her to sit and introduces himself, "Bellamy Blake."

She practically scowls as she fixes her attention on trying to find another suitable partner. "I know who you are."

"Can I get your name?"

Lexa has about had it. She doesn't have patience for this kind of interaction. They both know what he's trying to do to so she gives him her full attention and lays it all out, "listen, I am not interested. Your rugged charm does nothing for me, and I know that you also don't find me interesting. All you're trying to do is get an easy A by hoping I partner up with you and do all the work in the project so you can slide by. Well, it's not going to happen. You can go now."

Bellamy stands impressed. Instead of running away like most guys would have done by now, he tilts his head at her and chuckles, "since we're being honest - I am trying all that. You're right. I should have tried a different approach. The rugged thing usually works," he admits with a shrug. "What should I have done differently?" He asks and he seems so sincere that Lexa almost... cares.

"You're not my type," Lexa tells him and scoffs. She can't believe that the fact he didn't walk away after her little spiel is getting to her. "Try being a girl."

"Oh," he says quietly. Then, "_oh_."

"Yeah, anyway, maybe next time try not being on someone's seat when they come back."

"Noted," he smiles. As he's about to turn, Lexa stops him.

"Blake." He stops and waits for her to say whatever she is going to say.

"We both still need partners."

They look around the room and it seems like mostly everyone has settled with a partner and started discussing ideas. Nobody had approached them probably because they looked like a partnership in the making. Even Bellamy's friend, Clarke, had found a guy to work with. He had goggles on his head, which Lexa mused was a bit strange, but whatever.

"You're right," Bellamy said and sat down on the desk next to hers. "I promise I won't be disgustingly charming the entire time."

Lexa really only cares about one thing, "are you going to do your part, Blake?"

He does the cross sign over his heart and she considers it until he adds, "promise, I'm actually a major history buff. Ask my friend, and she'll tell you." He throws a thumb in Clarke's direction and then relaxes further into the seat, crossing his arms. "Reason why I don't wanna work with her, as much as I love her, is that she makes fun of me for caring about this stuff. _She _would end up using me and making me do all the work."

Lexa's eyes drift toward Clarke once again, the girl is already looking their way. She raises a hand and waives and turns back toward the goggles kid. "She doesn't seem the type?"

"Well, we go way back. More like brother and sister, you know what I mean." Lexa nods, but no, she doesn't know. She's an only child and never had a close friend. Her father was in the Navy so they moved constantly as she was growing up. The longest she's been in one location has been her university. "Anyway, what did you want to do the project on?"

They spent the next thirty minutes exchanging ideas and Lexa really was glad that Bellamy was a history buff. Wow, did he know his stuff. She was even excited about working with him. She didn't know him all that well but he seemed like a good guy underneath his charm and popularity.

At the end of the first class, they had each other's numbers. Clarke was waiting by the door, hand on her backpack hanging loosely from her shoulder. She was just saying bye to the goggles kid when Bellamy and Lexa approached, "bye, Jasper! I'll text you!" She waved at the boy as he found a friend.

"Hey, Clarke," Bellamy greeted her. "This is Lexa, she's my partner. Lexa," Bellamy said turning back toward his new friend, "This is Clarke. Best friend extraordinaire. We hate each other," he makes a face at Clarke who laughs.

"Really can't stand this guy," Clarke jokes and then extends her hand toward Lexa, "don't trust a single word he says about me." Lexa thinks about what Bellamy told her about Clarke making fun of him and nods.

"Nice to meet you," she says in lieu of a response to her comment, but doesn't smile. She's wary of strangers, and this Clarke girl seems like a lot of trouble.

Clarke turns to Bellamy and raises an eyebrow, pursing her lips, "does your friend smile?"

Bellamy pushes her and admonishes, "Clarke. Be nice."

"Sorry, just checking. I don't bite, Lexa. Unless you're into that." She winks and then to Bellamy she says, "gotta go meet O."

Bellamy startles, "right! She's going to be pissed if we're late. I gotta go, Lexa, but it was really nice meeting you. We'll talk this week."

Lexa probably shows that she's overwhelmed and attempts to say goodbye without feeling awkward but the look Clarke gives her as she walks away is telling that they don't buy it. She hears Clarke comment with Bellamy, "she's interesting..." before they turn around a corner and get out of earshot. She grunts in frustration. She can't do anything else at this point though so she turns abruptly - right into the chest of the tall guy in her class.

Her books spill off her hands and she mutters a lot of cuss words as she crouches to pick them up. "Sorry," she mumbles. Then she notices he is kneeling helping her with a sweet look in his eyes.

"You alright?"

"Fine."

"Okay," he concedes. "I'm Lincoln. Saw you talking to Bellamy."

"You know him," she says. It was meant as a question but came out more like a statement. "Right, yes he's my partner."

Lincoln returns her the books and grimaces, "ouch. Sorry," he smiles and then adds, "I date his sister, Octavia."

"Oh," she says, not really knowing what she's supposed to say. She never asked for this much information from any of the people she's met in this class. She's been through 4 years of college invisible, why are people deciding to talk to her now?

She starts walking, and Lincoln keeps walking the same direction, so he continues talking to her, "he doesn't really approve it; he kind of hates me."

She doesn't really care about family drama, much less other peoples' drama, but she asks anyway, "how come?"

"Long story short," Lincoln starts, "he says I'm going to break her heart; says we're too different. Also," Lincoln's says the next part in a whisper, coming closer to Lexa and leaning since he's much taller, "I took her virginity. Think he found out from Clarke so, yeah. Now he wants to kill me."

"Oh," Lexa says once again, speechless.

Lincoln nods in agreement and then makes a face that practically reads, 'fuck it' and tells her, "careful with those two, they're dangerous. I gotta go, meet O."

Lexa figures by now that O is the sister, or Octavia as Lincoln has mentioned. "I thought -"

"Yeah, we're all having a little 'family get together' for her. We do it to keep her happy, but it's mainly uncomfortable."

"Good luck with that, I guess?" Lexa says, and cracks a small smile for the first time since this class started. She can't help but try to picture the three people she met tonight in the same room all trying to be polite to keep a fourth faceless person happy. She must be something.

"Thanks! See you around...?"

She realizes that while he introduced himself, she never returned the pleasantry. "Lexa, sorry."

"Cool. See you around, Lexa Sorry," he jokes and disappears down the same way the other two went. She's curious to get to know more of these people, they seem... well, interesting. She just hopes that their drama doesn't affect her project. All she wants is to pass this class with an A to graduate with honors, and then get a move on with her life.

Is that really too much to ask?


End file.
